HEADLINES

HEADLINES : Washington

Special session looking likely for lawmakers to finish budget

The Seattle Times | by Andrew Garber | March 8, 2012

OLYMPIA - State lawmakers, for the third year in a row, appear headed into special session to negotiate a state budget.

Gov. Chris Gregoire acknowledged Wednesday that lawmakers need more time to finish their work, saying it's not technically possible to get everything done by the end of the regular session on Thursday.

But Gregoire added that lawmakers should work to reach a budget deal Thursday so they can come back and pass it quickly in special session.

"Anybody who says time out, we're not going to do anything between now and midnight tomorrow night, shame on them," she said. "Their job is ... to get it resolved."

Senate Republicans have been saying for days that a special session will be needed to sort things out.

However, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Ed Murray, D-Seattle, maintains it's possible to finish on time. "I think we can still get this done and get a budget passed by midnight tomorrow," he said Wednesday.